SOUND REVIEWS

First reviews are beginning to trickle in for The Sounds latest project. Crossing the Rubicon is the third studio album from The Sounds, dropping June 2nd. Check out the review from Filter Magazine.

First Impressions: The Sounds, Crossing the Rubicon
by Staff | 04.02.2009

The Sounds
Crossing the Rubicon
Original Signal Recordings
Release Date: 6/2

Tracklisting:

1. No One Sleeps When I’m Awake
2. 4 Songs and a Fight
3. My Lover
4. Dorchester Hotel
5. Beatbox
6. Underground
7. Crossing the Rubicon
8. Midnight Sun
9. Lost In Love
10. The Only Ones
11. Home Is Where Your Heart Is
12. Goodnight Freddy


First Impressions:

- This, the third album from Swedish quintet The Sounds, is undeniably catchy with female vocals, tons of upbeat electronic flourishes, dance beats, and just enough New Wave-inspired cheese to make things really fun.

- “Beatbox” is practically tailor-made for a 1980s film montage of people working out really hard. Think ice-skating classic The Cutting Edge – legwarmers, high-fives and lots of sweat backed by pulsating synth, programmed handclaps and lyrics that ask, “Tell me do you feel it?”

- The Sounds turn things around with “The Only Ones,” a song that abandons the dance-pop of the nine previous tracks for what is instead a piano-driven rock ballad.

- “Home Is Where Your Heart Is” features sentiments that will come off sappy and Disney-esque to the cynics out there (“You gotta rise to the occasion/You gotta read between the lines/Then maybe you’ll find who you are inside”), but others may find it innocently refreshing and uplifting.

Key Tracks:

“4 Songs and a Fight,” “Midnight Sun,” “The Only Ones”

Predictions:

Audiences who like to dance and don’t take things too seriously will enjoy blasting The Sounds’ latest. It’s a sunny-day record if there ever was one, and it’ll certainly induce a few shakes of the booty. But the overly-cheery synthesizers can quickly get old, making this an album to be heard in moderation, unless you just really loved the '80s.

Links:

The Sounds’ Official Website: http://www.the-sounds.com
The Sounds’ Official MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thesounds

Source: Filter Magazine
Photo: Megan Westerby

SHOP FOR A CAUSE

Please don't forget to run by Whole Foods today at some point. Grab dinner, fruit, water or anything so that Whole Foods will donate 5% of their net sales to KCRW.

GO...GET SHOPPING!!

ALWAYS A PLEASURE, MR. LASWELL

Once again, an impressive performance from one of my all time favorites, Greg Laswell. Last Friday, the Troubadour could not have had a better lineup: Greg Laswell followed by the incredible Rachael Yamagata! It was almost sensory overload. I have seen Greg about 8 or 9 times by now, mostly at the Hotel Cafe, and it just never gets old.

This night in particularly, he had a different demeanor. He is always charming, yet always a bit shy, but not this night. He was full of jokes and stories and anecdotes that was a nice change. He performed all my favorites, including 'Sing, Theresa Says', 'Through Toledo', and his cover of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun', which he then transitioned into my ultimate favorite Laswell classic 'High and Low', all of which were from his first album "Through Toledo". And from his most current record, "Three Flights from Alto Nido", he played 'The One I Love', 'How the Day Sounds', and my favorite off of this album, 'Comes and Goes (In Waves).

If you missed this performance, shame on you...just kidding, but if you did, you have two more chances this month to check him out and I do recommend that you do. He will be playing Thursday, April 23rd at Largo with Lenka and Saturday, April 25th, he will be returning to his home, the Hotel Cafe. So if you are looking for an enjoyable evening performance from one of LA's best singer/songwriters out there, GO!


www.myspace.com/greglaswell and www.greglaswell.com

ANYA MARINA @ HOTEL CAFE

"I get weird songs in my head and putting pen to paper is kind of like a diuretic," Anya Marina says about why she writes songs. "If I didn't get them out, they would probably make my mind feel very bloated. And no girl likes to be bloated." Anya Marina

"All the way from Rossmore and Beverly..." is how the adorable Anya Marina opened her show last Thursday at the Hotel Cafe. It was a packed event, as her US tour is about to hit the rest of the US, promoting her latest album "Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II", which dropped last November. You may not be so familiar with her name, but her music you might be, especially if you watch 'Grey's Anatomy', as she has been featured on the show several times. Hailing from the Bay Area, Marina's cute singer/songwriter sound is one all her own, oddly gaining influences from LCD Soundsystem, Peaches, and even Public Enemy. I never would have guessed, but that's what she says.

She had an amazing stage presence and really put on a fantastic, flawless show; not only musically, but she definitely has a very dry comedic side to her that she was not afraid to let out. Between each song she had a story or joke, that would make you belly laugh, and she was so endearing. She performed a good number of songs off of her latest, as well as gracing us with some of her "classics"; however, I was sad that she did not perform her cover of the Three's Company Theme Song, which is off of her "Live at The Casbah" album, but I was content with a hilariously cute rendition of "Whatever You Like" by T.I. If you have yet to have heard this lovely beauty do so at www.myspace.com/anyamarina or go to her page, www.anyamarina.com

WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO - SILVERSUN PICKUPS

Silversun Pickups will be releasing their highly anticipated sophomore full-length, Swoon, next Tuesday, April 14 on Dangerbird Records, and have just premiered the official video for first single "Panic Switch" today on MTVU and MTV2. Grammy-nominated director James Frost (Radiohead "House of Cards" / Coldplay "Yellow") took the reigns in guiding the band through a performance-driven act with stark closeups and chilling footage of the band fleeing an unseen enemy.

Silversun Pickups has also teamed up with Coachella, Virgin America and FILTER to offer one lucky fan a VIP flyaway trip for two complete with round-trip airfare, Coachella tickets and campground passes. For more information and to enter today, head to:

http://www.filter-mag.com/index.php?id=157&c=contest

TOMORROW IS COMMUNITY GIVING DAY IN LA

What are you doing tomorrow? Well, I know what I'm doing - I will be stopping by Whole Foods market in support of KCRW. What a FANTASTIC way to give back, especially if you don't get the opportunity to donate to KCRW when they do their pledge drive.

So on “Community Giving Day” – Wednesday, April 8^th, 2009 – participating LA and Orange County Whole Foods Market stores will dedicate 5% of net sales to benefit independent, eclectic public radio station 89.9 FM/KCRW-Santa Monica (www.KCRW.com).

As a corporate entity, Whole Foods Market is deeply engaged in community giving, providing several 5% Community Giving Days throughout the year. Local stores are given latitude to decide which non-profits will benefit, with decisions based on causes important to the shoppers and neighbors in each area. Whole Foods Market also regularly contributes food to local pantries and shelters, and its team members volunteer their time and expertise to an assortment of local non-profits.

As the leading public radio station in Southern California, KCRW’s eclectic news, talk, cultural and independent music programming provides a unique service to the listeners of Southern California, and to global audiences via the station’s website.

The station’s main source of support is its membership base, and in these hard economic times, many of those listeners have been personally affected by the downturn. And it’s no secret that businesses which underwrite public radio have also had to pull back.

That’s why support from such civic-minded companies as Whole Foods can make a real a difference.

“No coupons, no codes, no mentions of the contribution need be remembered by shoppers – just remember the date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009. Shop at Whole Foods Markets that day and 5% of that day’s net sales will directly support KCRW.

NEW BLACK CROWES

The Black Crowes are releasing a 2 disc CD “WarPaint Live” on April 28^th! The first disc is a live recording of their last album WARPAINT performed in its entirety and the second disc is a live performance of Black Crowe favorites from a sold out show in Los Angeles. The WARPAINT studio release debuted with 46K albums sold and has sold over 150K to date!

Below is the audio stream for "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution"

“Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution” stream:

http://www.eaglerockent.com/eaglerock/audios/01%20Goodbye%20Daughters%20Of%20The%20Revoluti.mp3

WHERE THE WILD THINGS GROW

Ok, so I'm totally freaking out over the upcoming adaptation of Where The Wild Things Grow! I know this really doesn't have anything to do with music, but I think everyone needs to see this movie. I grew up on this when i was a kid, so I can't wait to see how this book comes to life. This trailer does feature the song "Wake Up" from Arcade Fire....check it out!

IN CASE YOU MISSED EM...

Phoenix was on SNL over the weekend - check em out performing their hit song, "1901." Hurry and watch it before it's taken off!

JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY

HAPPY MONDAY!! First, I wanna say that I had the best weekend in Los Angeles. Not only was it like 80 degrees here in Southern California, but I got to see 2 of my favorite singer songwriters perform at the Troubadour. Ill have a review coming up, but all I have to say is WOW!

Second, a Bjorn-less Peter and John talk about their particular brand of pop experimentalism, and using old elements and influences to create modern sounds.

Check out the video here: http://www.shockhound.com/videos/474-interview--peter-bjorn-and-john